The battle within the arena commenced—a momentary silence stretched before the place erupted in a cacophony of noise and shouting. The fighters of our world were taken aback when the combatants of the Tenth World sat nonchalantly on the edge of the ring as if watching a performance; then, the fighting descended suddenly and painfully.
At the front where the first duel opened, Arisa lunged toward Blade like a lethal breeze. She stopped behind him as if she were an inseparable shadow and whispered coldly into his ear, "My... are you empty?" The words gave him no time to understand; Blade tried to recover with a sudden punch, but her hand vanished as if the air had swallowed it. She then crept toward his body with a speed invisible to the eye, grabbed him, and began dragging the floor of the arena beneath him. She ran with him in circular paths, exploiting every movement to mark him and break his balance. The sounds of his body hitting the ground and the cracking of the arena floor expressed the cruelty of what was happening—and like an expert fox, Arisa smiled with a deadly coldness.
Elsewhere, Raimos stood face-to-face with Ruka. He said in a mocking voice, his features colored with hatred, "Oh, am I now standing before the weakest fighter in the Sixth World?" That insult ignited Raimos, and he did not hesitate. He rushed toward him like a hurricane, and a violent friction began—punches and chains of strikes, collisions that made the arena's air tremble, each blow leaving an acoustic crack in the ears of the spectators. The clash between Raimos and Ruka turned into a physical brawl and a semi-violent dance: screams, fading light, and sparks of energy flying intermittently.
As for Arios, he stood a bit further away, watching the Tenth World fighters with calm eyes that caught every detail. He ignored many calls, but he felt something approaching from behind. Before he realized it, Branco, the leader of the Ninth World, ambushed him with clear cunning: he grabbed him from behind and dragged him toward the edge of the ring. Together they fell in a fleeting moment, the sound of the air screaming around them, and a smile of pride etched onto the face of the Ninth World ruler as he laughed at this turn of events. The scene was designed to establish embarrassment and provocation; he wanted to prove his superiority. Arlin's features grew frantic, and she shouted at him through the microphone, "Arios! Crush him now!" Arios gathered his strength, glanced at him with a cold bullet of rage, and then gave Branco a powerful strike with a sharp elbow that pushed him away from the edge. Both recoiled, exchanging quick glances through which Arios realized the necessity of vigilance: there was no room for relaxation and no urgency for trust.
On the sidelines, Nahira's assistant whispered to her in a low, tense voice, "My lady... Arios looks just as he did in the past." Nahira looked on with stern eyes, reflecting the complexity of an old feeling, and said with a coldness that freezes the blood, "Yes... it seems you are right. He escaped my world, and now he fights here alongside a very weak world—alongside a ruler of lower status than me. Arlin, this is disgusting... but it also piques my mind. He seems as useless as he was, weightless... yet he hasn't died. Until I meet him here now—" She paused for a moment, then followed her searching gaze toward the Tenth World: "And the Tenth World... that name—what was his name?" Her assistant answered in a sour voice, "Jain, my lady." Nahira closed her lips with vague satisfaction, then whispered with lethal coldness, "Yes, Jain. Strong, without a doubt. But this time... I shall be almost happy to see one of my worthless possessions perish quickly—I will certainly make sure the show is exciting this time."
In the heart of the arena, punches continued and the crowd's screams grew louder; tension increased, and allies in every rank held their breath. Arios, Raimos, Arisa—each was embedded in their own spearhead, but what was happening outside the combat zone—Nahira's stares, Jain's smile, and the presence of the World Sages—gave the battle a deeper character: it wasn't just a fight for survival, but a political dance revealing buried reservations and plans. Every blow carried within it more than physical pain; they were small pieces of the destinies of entire worlds. The scene grew even more tense inside the arena.
Branco, the leader of the Ninth World, stood with a mocking smile on his face, looking at Arios with clear contempt: "Is this your third fighter? He looks like a novice child... weak, he doesn't even know how to steady his feet."
Anger flared in Arios's heart, and he exploded toward him with a lightning punch. But Branco, with extreme agility, stepped back half a pace, and the blow passed through the air. In the blink of an eye, he lunged at him with a powerful side palm that sent Arios's body reeling backward.
Arios stopped for a moment, holding himself together while clenching his teeth, but his features were marred by confusion. Raimos returned from his clash with Ruka for a second and glanced at him seriously, saying, "What's wrong with you, man? You're not yourself... why aren't you fighting well?"
Arios lowered his head slightly, his voice carrying a mix of anger and confusion: "I'm fine... but my body... it's as if it's opposing me! Whenever I want to attack, my body does something completely different. I don't know the reason... as if something is preventing me from releasing my power."
Raimos's expression darkened, but he jumped back lightly, shouting at him, "Then fix it now! We are only at the beginning of the battle. Focus... fight naturally, don't let this obstacle bring you down." He then rushed back to apply pressure on Ruka once more.
As for Arisa, she had ended her battle with shocking speed. The body of Blade, her opponent, was shattered by her successive strikes. She looked at him with cold eyes and said to herself, "Six years... and he hasn't changed much. It seems I overestimated him."
She grabbed Blade by his neck like a dilapidated doll and lifted his body high before throwing him out of the ring as if tossing something worthless. He cut through the air and fell into the spectator seats amidst the amazement and shouts of the viewers. He was thus the first to be eliminated from the battle, reducing the number of Ninth World fighters to two.
The Ninth Ruler stood from his seat in anger, rebuking his eliminated fighter with an inflamed voice: "How dare you fall so quickly?! You have brought shame upon your world!"
Among the rulers, Arlin turned with a calm smile and said to reassure herself, "The Sixth World is ahead so far."
Karma laughed from his high seat, clapping lightly while saying to the Grand Master, "Wonderful fights... truly, the Sixth World is amazing. I didn't expect this level."
The Grand Master bowed slightly and answered him, "These fighters... were under the supervision of Ruler Arlin herself. She is the one who chose and trained them with her own hands."
Karma's eyes widened with even greater admiration: "So she doesn't just hold the position of a ruler... she polished mortal fighters of this incredible level herself! Amazing... truly amazing."
His eyes fixed specifically on Raimos, who at that moment was pressing his opponent Ruka mercilessly, cornering him and exhausting him with heavy blows until the battle seemed about to be decided quickly in his favor. The arena erupted in loud noise after Ruka fell out of it at the hands of Raimos. Raimos, with a clear smile of pride on his face, raised his fist slightly toward the audience, then looked at the battlefield where Branco was still standing, alongside Arios, who seemed unable to land a single correct blow.
Raimos raised his eyebrows in wonder, whispering to himself, "What is happening to him...? I know how strong Arios is... his skills are not something to be underestimated. And yet, I don't see him hitting his target even once!"
Branco's loud laughter filled the air, the echo of his mockery piercing Arios's ears: "Come on, boy! Is this all you have? You are a disgrace to your world!"
In a fleeting moment, Branco landed a powerful punch that sent Arios flying across the arena, his body crashing into debris as dust scattered around him. Arios sighed with difficulty, his body refusing to obey him, until the system window suddenly rose before his eyes:
[Alert: Stop resisting. Leave the command to the System.]
He froze for seconds, his breath hitched: "What... does this mean?! Why is the system intervening now?"
Branco returned to the attack, his left fist like a hammer descending on Arios's position, but the latter lunged aside at the last moment, hiding behind a massive block of rubble. He sat for a moment, his mind racing through possibilities while his hand wiped the sweat from his forehead: "My body... every time I try to attack or defend... it does the opposite of what I want! Is this because of the system? Is it forcing me into a style I don't understand?"
He felt a strange heat behind his back, as if his raw energy was boiling inside him without control, but he ignored it and tightened his grip, trying to think of a plan to save himself from Branco's ridicule.
In the stands, Arlin followed with concern, her gaze tense: "His fighting... it's not natural. He's... evading and acting strangely. As if... he's trying to prove something!"
Wang answered her calmly, his hands clasped: "Perhaps, my lady. Or... perhaps he's suffering from a problem he hasn't told anyone about."
Arlin returned to staring at him, her heart sinking: "Arios... what on earth are you doing?"
On the arena floor, Arios finally emerged from his hiding place, his gaze steady this time. His body rose into the sky, a surge of energy enveloping his feet, then he launched toward Branco with imaginary speed.
A wide smile appeared on Branco's face, and he raised his arm mockingly: "Fine! Come, I'll end you with one blow."
But, at the moment Branco tried to punch him, Arios suddenly vanished. Branco was confused and shouted, "What?!"
Before he realized what was happening, the kick came from behind like a thunderbolt, hitting his back with crushing force that sent his body flying, shattering a huge wall on the edges of the ring.
The ground shook, dust billowed, and the entire audience stood on their feet in shock. Arios landed lightly, his eyes narrowing: "...I won't let you mock me again. If I must follow the system... I will do it my way."
He turned his head toward Branco as he rose from the rubble, features of anger clear on his face. At that moment, Arios began planning to repeat this strategy: stop thinking... and let his body lead him as the system requested. Arios rushed again toward his opponent, his body moving without hesitation, left entirely to the current of the system that steered him. He repeated the same strategy—evading then suddenly attacking—and actually succeeded in hitting Branco, but the blow was not powerful enough to take him down.
A mocking smile appeared on Branco's face as he wiped the trace of the blow from his arm: "Is this all you have? Just childish tricks!"
Then suddenly, Branco released his energy, and his image multiplied before Arios, his body replicating dozens then hundreds of times until the arena was filled with his shadows. But these were not mere illusions... they were real copies, each carrying the abilities and strength of the original!
The copies surrounded Arios from every direction, and blows rained down on him like waves. However, for the first time, Arios's body seemed in complete harmony, evading attacks, weaving between copies, flowing through them as if he were reading their paths before they attacked him.
Suddenly, he stopped in his place, looked around, then raised his fist and struck with all his might toward only one copy. The air exploded from the intensity of the blow, and the single copy that received the attack shattered immediately, revealing that it was the original.
Branco recoiled, surprised: "How... did you know my location?!"
Arios stood up, his eyes sharp: "It's simple... you are the only one among them whose heart energy I can feel. As for the rest... they are just a void."
Shock appeared on Branco's features, then for the first time, the mockery vanished from his voice. He clenched his fist, and his tone changed: "So... you are not just weak as I thought. It seems I underestimated you greatly."
Arios stepped toward him slowly, then said seriously, "This fight... is between you and me alone. I won't let my colleagues intervene. Man against man."
Silence reigned for a moment before Branco smiled a small smile, this time without mockery, but with hidden respect: "You have the pride of a fighter... fine, I won't hold back anymore."
Energies ignited between them, and their strikes collided with massive force that made the entire arena shake. Each movement left violent shocks vibrating through the field, and the entire audience followed with bated breath.
The arena shook with a terrifying tremor when Arios and Branco collided in a direct punch; it wasn't just a normal confrontation but felt like the collision of entire worlds. The crowds in the Upper and Lower Worlds felt the shockwave as it passed, even the fortified walls of the hall cracked from the strength of the recoil.
Branco raised his voice mockingly as he pressed on Arios's wrist, having managed to grab him:
Branco: "You're finished, kid! Your strength isn't enough before me... I will crush you before the eyes of your teammates!"
He tightened his grip more, forcing Arios's body to be crushed under his power, while Arios panted, unable to move. A short moment of silence hung over them before Arios raised his head and that strange heat began to rise from within him.
Suddenly, his scream rang out:
Arios: "AAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
The sound came out so loudly that the arena walls shook, and a massive blue light erupted from his body, piercing the sky to flood the place with an energy unlike any other. Everyone present stood stunned, even the rulers themselves.
One ruler's voice rose in astonishment, shouting:
Ruler: "What...!? A mere mortal releasing the energy of Rulers!! This... this is impossible!!"
The thrones the rulers sat upon shook from the intensity of the energy wave. As for Karma, he raised his head with a strange smile, his eyes sparkling with wonder and curiosity, as if he had found a treasure he hadn't expected:
Karma (whispering): "Raizo Ruler... this is unbelievable?"
Everyone directed their gaze toward Arlin, for she was the only one who held the answer. She stood tall, a mysterious smile on her face, then answered calmly:
Arlin: "He is not a successor of mine... he is Arios, the boy who forged Raizo Ruler by himself."
Silence reigned for seconds... then whispers grew among the rulers. Some showed admiration, some felt confusion, while others were overwhelmed by fear at the very idea.
In the back rows, Nahira's eyes trembled with shock. She spoke to her assistant in a tone wavering between anger and denial:
Nahira: "Impossible... impossible! He never told me he was capable of such a thing! How...? Damn him... damn her!"
As for Arisa, she was the most shocked of all. She placed her hand on her chest, talking to herself:
Arisa (Internal Thought): "This... this isn't the Cipher he faced me with in the past... his power is completely different... and stranger yet, I don't feel any energy emitting from him... as if his very existence has become something else... damn..."
Unable to bear it, she turned toward Raimos standing beside her, her face pale with anger:
Arisa: "You! Tell me... what is this transformation? What did he do?"
Raimos smiled faintly, but his eyes burned with warning. He replied to her coldly while averting his gaze:
Raimos: "First... speak politely. And second... what you see before you is the fruit of his training after possessing Raizo Ruler. It is the Highcipher... and I also have a similar transformation, but that doesn't concern you."
Arisa's lips trembled with rage, but she found no reply... she only returned her gaze to the arena where Arios now stood with different features, the aura of power surrounding him like a massive blue vortex, and Branco before him, for the first time appearing frightened, stepping back a pace without realizing it. In the sky, Arios was soaring with the Highcipher aura; his speed exceeded light itself, his body appearing as a blue flash that the eye could not track.
He extended his hand with just one strike... a blow that seemed to erase space itself, hitting Branco directly and sending him flying far out of the ring with insane speed until his trace completely vanished.
Silence fell... then the Cosmic Announcer's voice boomed:
"The last warrior of the Ninth World has been eliminated...!"
Karma raised his hand slowly, a terrifying smile etched on his face, and the atmosphere in the entire hall suddenly changed, as if time itself bent under his presence. Then his voice rose, deep and gut-wrenching:
Karma: "How unfortunate... Ninth World. All your warriors have fallen. And according to the law... you, and your world, are condemned to inevitable destruction."
The ruler of the Ninth World fell to his knees, screaming at the top of his voice, pleading:
Ninth World Ruler: "My Lord Karma! Please... have mercy on my people... give us another chance! We will not fail the judgment again...!"
But Karma's gaze carried nothing but coldness. He tilted his head slightly, then said in a voice that knew no mercy:
Karma: "The law... is the law."
In a fleeting moment, Karma erased the ruler and his warriors from existence entirely. He didn't even give them a chance to scream. Then he raised his finger and tapped the air lightly... and suddenly, the entire space exploded with a horrific light.
With a single tap, the entire Ninth World was destroyed—its planets, its kingdoms, its peoples, its history, and even hundreds of billions of its universes. Nothing remained of it but absolute void.
The arena shook with bewilderment. The screams of some remaining warriors rose, their faces frozen in horror. No one had imagined that Karma would do it without hesitation, erasing an entire world as if it were dust on his hand.
In her heart, Arlin cried out to herself, her fists trembling:
Arlin (Internal Thought): "Damn! He didn't hesitate for a single moment... if we lose, our fate will be exactly like theirs!"
As for Arios, the glow of the Highcipher faded from around him, returning his body to its natural state, but he continued to look directly into Karma's eyes. Karma smiled a small smile as he folded his hands and sat in his place calmly, as if saying to him without words: "Welcome to the world of the big leagues."
Arios felt the weight. He understood perfectly that the rulers were not ordinary opponents one could underestimate. They were beings beyond any logic.
Arios descended beside Raimos and Arisa, his features carrying anxiety.
Raimos said in a low but firm voice:
Raimos: "Remember, losing here... means absolute end. No return."
Arios nodded slowly, then raised his gaze toward his two companions:
Arios: "From now on, we will never hold ourselves back. Everything we possess... must be used."
Arisa smiled wickedly, placed her hand on her hip, and said:
Arisa: "Don't worry... I have wonderful plans. I will surprise them."
On the other side, Jain was lying down, yawning lazily. He turned to Caspier, asking coldly:
Jain: "Huh? What did I miss? What's all this noise?"
Caspier sighed with frustration and answered him:
Caspier: "You missed everything, sir... the Ninth World was completely annihilated before our eyes."
Jain raised his eyebrows with indifference, then sat up slowly, his eyes flashing with a strange light as he muttered:
Jain: "So... the goal is clear. To end our opponents before we end up like them."
He turned his face toward Caspier and Judy, then ordered them with a decisive tone:
Jain: "Get ready. We are not playing here... only complete obedience. Either we win, or we are erased."
The two nodded without argument, their bodies trembling with awe, as they began preparing to face what was to come.